


dog days are over

by blackkat



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, Dogs, First Meetings, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 06:37:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15768621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat
Summary: “You want some help with that?” Mei asks skeptically, eyeing the frothing ball of rage snarling in the back of Zabuza’s car.





	dog days are over

“You want some help with that?” Mei asks skeptically, eyeing the frothing ball of rage snarling in the back of Zabuza’s car.

“Can’t be worse than Haku in a snit,” Zabuza jokes, making her snort. “Nah. Thanks for the offer, but Mangetsu’s little brother has a friend who works with a vet. He said the guy’s good with the rough type.”

“That,” Mei says dryly, “is not the _rough type_ , that is a hundred and twenty pounds of German Shepherd that was probably used for these creeps’ idea of gladiator games.”

“No evidence of that,” Zabuza retorts. “He was half a building away from the other dogs, and I'm not going to let them put him down as something dangerous when the techs didn’t find any blood on his teeth or in his cage.”

Mei throws up her hands. “This is why you have a _child_ at twenty-four. You're going to end up adopting the dangerous half of the city, and then who’s going to support my run for mayor?”

“Some other shmuck you con into the job.” Zabuza sidesteps her jab, pulls his keys out, and asks, “Can you pick Haku up from practice? I don’t know how late I’ll be.”

“Sure, I’ll go tell him his father got eaten by Cujo,” Mei says sweetly, but she tips her hat back, checks her phone. “He has figure skating today?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Mei.” Zabuza opens the door of his car, and the dog immediately lunges with a vicious snarl. Zabuza doesn’t flinch, just snaps, “ _Down_ ,” with all the authority he can muster.

It’s almost a surprise when the shepherd drops instantly, landing on his belly on the console between the seats, and whines uncertainly.

“Look at that,” Mei says with no small amount of wonder, which means she probably expected Zabuza to get his throat ripped out. Her faith in him is always touching. “I guess you do know what you're doing.”

Zabuza doesn’t tell her hasn’t got the faintest idea. “Just like handling a teenager. You can't let them see you're afraid,” he says, and hopes he’s not sweating too hard as he slides into the driver’s seat, nudging the shepherd’s heavy flank. “Come on, over.”

The dog slinks into the passenger seat, slides down like he’s going to try and cram himself onto the floorboard, and when Zabuza’s Honda provides insufficient space for the biggest damn dog he’s ever seen to sit on the floor, ends up half-sprawled across the seat, ass on the floor, chin almost in Zabuza’s lap.

“That,” Mei says appraisingly, and with touch of awe, “is a hell of a lot of dog.”

Zabuza’s really trying to ignore the fact that he’s the size of a small pony and probably outweighs Haku by a significant amount. “He’s just worried,” he says stubbornly, and reaches out, telegraphing the movement. The shepherd watches his hand approach, dark eyes concerned, but makes no move to bite, and Zabuza carefully pats his head. He really, really couldn’t let Animal Control take the dog, not when he reacted like this. More pet than vicious beast, and just—uncertain. Scared.

“Hmm.” Mei sounds faintly skeptical still, but she leans in, brushing her braid back, and—

The shepherd explodes into a fit of barking, leaps to his feet as best he can and growls, and it’s fucking _intimidating_. Zabuza doesn’t let that stop him, grabs the collar Animal Control provided, and drags him back with a loud, “Hey, _down_!”

Reluctantly, still growling, the dog sinks back to the seat, but his eyes never leave Mei.

“I guess he’s picked his person,” Mei says dryly, taking a deliberate step back. “You were the one to pull him out of that cage, right?”

“Yeah, after I tackled the fuckface of a ‘dog trainer’ and cuffed him.” Zabuza carefully eases his grip, but the dog makes no move to lunge again. “Guess we bonded over that.”

“Good luck,” Mei says, and it even sounds mostly sincere. She waves, then says, “I’ll take Haku back to my place, get in a sleepover with your adorable son. Anything happening before school tomorrow?”

“Yeah, he’s got an early school council meeting. Thanks, Mei, I appreciate it.” Zabuza digs through his pocket, then through the console, and manages to come up with the battered but lovingly cared for MP3 player Haku misplaced this morning. “Here, he forgot this.”

Mei pockets it, careful to keep her distance as she does. She touches two fingers to her brow in salute, then says, “Be careful.”

“I know what I'm doing,” Zabuza lies, and closes the door. He looks over at the shepherd, who looks back and low, whining huff. His tail thumps the floorboard, and Zabuza sighs. “We can do this,” he tells the dog. “Easy, right?”

The dog looks just about as unconvinced as Zabuza feels.

 

 

The window of the vet’s office sports a closed sign, but the door opens when Zabuza tests the knob, just as Jūgo promised it would. Zabuza lets out a breath of relief, hauling the shepherd a little closer to his leg as he turns to growl at a passing jogger. If the dog even notices, he shows no sign, and Zabuza groans because this is _exactly_ like dealing with Haku at his tetchiest. There are probably equal odds of an interloper getting their hand ripped off, too.

All of the lights are on in the tiled front room, but the main desk is empty. “Doctor?” Zabuza calls, even as the dog tries to lunge back out the door only to have his feet skid out from under him. Over a hundred pounds of beast crashes into Zabuza’s thighs, and he loses his balance with a yelp. He hits the ground flat on his back with a wheeze, the shepherd practically in his lap, and groans.

Instantly, there are quick steps, and a figure rounds the edge of the far door at a near run. The shepherd jerks to his feet, barking loudly with every hackle up, and Zabuza rolls and grabs for his collar before he’s even on his feet.

“Easy, _easy,_ ” he says, and the dog tucks himself against Zabuza’s shoulder, still barking.

“Oh,” the vet says in surprise, and Zabuza glances up, then _up_.

Oh _hell_ , he thinks, and even he can't tell if it’s admiring or dismayed. The guy’s big, probably has at least four inches on Zabuza, who isn't small himself. He’s handsome, too, but that realization comes second to the dog’s reaction, because if even _Mei_ was too much for him, he’s likely not going to take well to such a big man looking him over. Zabuza really doesn’t want to have to tranq him; the invasion of police officers and all the chaos of breaking up the fighting ring was bad enough for his nerves.

But then, without even a pause, the vet sinks down, settling cross-legged on the floor, and coos, “You're a big one, aren’t you? Vicious, too.”

“Only when he wants to be,” Zabuza says dryly, shifting, but when he makes to stand the shepherd pushes into him, almost knocks him over again as he puts himself between Zabuza and the vet, and Zabuza sighs. “Sorry, he’s still a little spooked.”

“It’s all right,” the vet says with a grin. “Jūgo was saying you picked him up at a bust?”

“Fighting ring we broke up this evening,” Zabuza confirms, and when worry flickers across the vet’s face he clarifies, “It didn’t look like they’d used him in any matches yet. Techs checked his cage and his teeth and didn’t find any traces of blood, and he was kept pretty far from the arena. New acquisition, maybe.”

“Lucky for you, huh?” the vet asks the dog cheerfully, and the bark shifts into a growl even as the shepherd’s ears fold back. “Yeah, that’s a good thing. No need to get taken in by Animal Control.”

“I worked with a K9 officer for a few years,” Zabuza explains. “Figured I could take him in, get him checked up while Animal Control dealt with all the other animals, since he was low priority. Thanks for coming in just to see him.”

The vet chuckles. “Not a problem,” he says easily. “I don’t live far, and I like dogs.” He appraises the shepherd, then glances at Zabuza with amusement, eyes lingering just enough to be noticeable as he looks him over. “He’s protective of you.”

“Cuffed the asshole who was screaming at him.” Zabuza nudges the dog again, and this time the shepherd shifts a little, just enough to let him get back on his feet. “I'm Zabuza Momochi.”

The vet stays where he is, but he gives Zabuza a smile that has no right to be so attractive coming from a guy in lavender scrubs. “Kisame Hoshigaki. I don’t suppose this guy has a name yet?”

Zabuza is absolutely not going to admit that he has a mental list of options already drawn up. “I'm not even sure I can keep him. He’ll have to get along with my kid, and not eat the neighbors.”

“I think you’ll be fine, huh, lady-killer?” Kisame jokes to the dog, then pauses, laughs a little. “Well, that’s probably not the best nickname. Heartbreaker, maybe. You're definitely a handsome guy, aren’t you?”

The growl trails off, and the shepherd casts a faintly uncertain look up at Zabuza before he returns a wary gaze to Kisame. That’s an improvement, Zabuza thinks, and takes a step forward. The dog shadows him, pressed right against his thigh, and his hackles are still up but he’s not making any overtly aggressive gestures. “Okay with this?” he asks Kisame, because he’s not the one sitting with his face at teeth-level.

“Yeah, that’s a good way to do it,” Kisame says cheerfully, and pats the floor beside him. “If he’s okay with it, you can sit down, maybe put your arm around me. Give him a sign that we’re okay with each other.”

Well, it’s not like Zabuza needs an excuse to get up in a hot guy’s personal space. He pats the shepherd’s head, then sinks down. The knee one of the bastards they rounded up tried to kick out twinges, and he winces, stretching it out in front of him, then leaning into Kisame's bulk. He hooks an arm over broad shoulders, then pats his thigh. “Come on, kid,” he says to the dog, who folds his ears flat, looks from Kisame to Zabuza and back again, and then takes a step closer. “Yeah, don’t be a chicken, you're fine now. Just need to get you some shots and shit and then I’ll get you some chicken.”

“I think I can find where Jūgo puts the treats, too,” Kisame says, low and gentle, and holds out a hand, not outstretched but bent, offering the shepherd the back of his hand to smell. The dog shifts just a little closer, sniffing, and Kisame chuckles softly. “I bet I smell like my dog, huh? Samehada’s got the same tough guy thing going on as you, but she’s a marshmallow on the inside. Bet you're the same way once you relax a little.”

Tentatively, the dog wags his tail, just once, and then sits down at Zabuza’s knee, head ducked. When Kisame reaches out, slow and careful, he flicks his ears back, and Kisame freezes, withdraws his hand.

“Sorry,” he tells Zabuza, almost sheepish. “We might be here for a while.”

Too much of this and Zabuza won't be held accountable for any thoughts he has about the very thick muscle he can feel under his arm, or the heat of Kisame's body against him. “It’s my dog being a pain,” he says with a snort. “I feel like I should buy you dinner for this at least.”

Kisame laughs, rubbing the bridge of his nose, and—there's a trace of a flush in his dark cheeks. _Fuck_. Zabuza’s fucking _weak_ against guys who blush. “I mean, only if you want to,” he says. “I’m happy to just look at this heartbreaker, but…” He casts a smile at Zabuza, and it’s bright and cheerful and a little bashful. “I wouldn’t say no to dinner, either.”

Thank everything that Mei agreed to take Haku tonight. “Should probably stay in tonight, give this guy something familiar instead of locking him in a strange house,” he says, and when disappointment flickers over Kisame's face it makes his heart trip over its next beat. “But if you don’t mind, I can cook.”

The grin Kisame gives him is wide and brilliant. “Sure,” he says cheerfully, and the dog tentatively thumps his tail against the tile, ears lifting slightly. This time when Kisame reaches out, he’s allowed to touch the shepherd’s shoulder before the dog retreats an inch, and with a chuckle Kisame sits back. He hand grazes Zabuza’s back, making Zabuza’s breath catch, and Kisame glances at him, grin widening, and then carefully, deliberately presses his hand flat against Zabuza’s spine. Big, warm hands, and Zabuza swallows, thoughts not entirely appropriate for the situation rising.

“So,” Kisame says, and that tone is all warm amusement. “Since you keep saying _my dog_ , and you’re taking him home, what are you naming him?”

Zabuza groans in disgust, but surrenders with a sigh. “Kubikiribōchō. Oh, shut up.”

Kisame just laughs at him, and it’s probably a bad sign that Zabuza really doesn’t mind.


End file.
